Steel Magnolias – The Show and it’s Performances
FAST FACTS:
SHOW TIMES:
Evening Performances at 8 pm:
Sep 25, 29, 30 and Oct 1,2,6,7,8,9
Matinee Performances at 2 pm:
Sep 26, and Oct 3,10
By order of the Provincial Health Officer:
* Proof of vaccination is required to enter the theatre.
* Masks are required inside the theatre for all patrons born in 2009 or earlier.
SHOW RUN:
Sep 25 – Oct 10, 2021
There is NO Director’s Talk for this show.
The Preview is on Friday Sep 24, 2021 – it is the final dress rehearsal.
- Running Time: approx 1 hour 45 minutes including the 15 minute intermission.
LOCATION:
1370 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC. Next to the on-ramp to the Arthur Lang Bridge by Marine Drive and Granville .
TICKET PRICING:
From $40
The Preview is $25
Wednesday SPECIAL:
2 tickets for $60
~ GST and fees are additional
* Group Discounts available
Tickets can be reserved by calling the Box Office 604 266 7191 or purchased on line TICKETS
BOX OFFICE WINDOWS HOURS:
OPEN 4:30pm on Performance Days
Voicemail or email responses at other times
Box Office Phone: 604 266 7191
LICENSED LOUNGE HOURS:
Performance Evenings – 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Performance Matinees – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
PARKING:
There is plenty of easy parking – in the parking lot, on the street, even ‘All Evening Parking’ for $4 at the Value Liquor Store Lot just up the street from Metro – 1450 SW Marine Dr, Vancouver, BC V6P 5Z9
BUS ROUTES:
We’re close to the Marpole bus loop and on the #10 route. Check out www.translink.ca for transit directions.
CONTACT:
Metro Theatre and Boone Dog Productions via the contact form at the bottom of this page for more information, publicity photos, and arrangements for interviews.
Boone Dog Productions is an artists’ collective dedicated to telling stories that lighten, empower and resonate within the human soul. Their original production of Steel Magnolias ran at The Nest on Granville Island in February/March 2020 and closed 3 days before the COVID lockdown.
Metro Theatre is a non-profit theatre company, dedicated to promoting and developing theatre arts. This is our 58th (resumed) Season of bringing laughter, intrigue and surprise to live audiences.
Rehearsal Pictures:
Press Release: STEEL MAGNOLIAS
An all-Female Ensemble of Powerhouse Vancouver Actors Share the Importance and Power of ‘Togetherness’ after Historic Pandemic Isolation.
Southern charm reigns in heartwarming and poignant tale of strength in solidarity through life’s joys and struggles
Vancouver, BC — In association with Boone Dog Productions, Metro Theatre celebrates the return of live theatre by co-presenting playwright Robert Harling’s warm and witty Steel Magnolias from September 25 – October 10, 2021. Featuring an all-female collective of Vancouver-based professional performers, this beloved story of camaraderie and fierce loyalty epitomizes Southern charm and unwavering strength in the face of triumphs and tragedies. Based on true events, and widely known for the hit film adaptation starring Julia Roberts, the timeless drama follows a young woman as she grapples with a life-altering medical diagnosis.
“Steel Magnolias is a powerful story about the healing nature of friendship — a poignant and timely message for those who are still feeling the costly effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” says actor and co-producer Lalainia Lindbjerg, who plays the matriarchal role of M’Lynn. “We all have an intrinsic need for deep, interconnected friendships; humans were never meant to live our lives alone! However, the restrictive social isolation that was imposed in the past 18 months has brought the mental health and well-being of Canadians to an all-time low. It is time that we come back together and celebrate community. Celebrate what we previously took for granted – a deep sense of belonging, togetherness.”
Based on the life of Harling’s younger sister, Susan, who passed away due to complications from Type 1 Diabetes, Steel Magnolias was originally written as a short story before being adapted into a highly acclaimed off-Broadway play in 1987. Two years later, the work was made into a Hollywood film, starring cinematic heavyweights Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Darryl Hannah, Shirley MacLaine, and Olympia Dukakis. A box office and critical success, the film garnered Roberts both a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Field in the Best Actress category, among other accolades.
The play opens on Shelby’s wedding day in small-town Louisiana, in the big-haired, “blush and bashful” hued era of the 1980s. Gathered in Truvy’s in-home beauty salon, we are quickly introduced to the quick-witted, dynamic cast of characters, including Shelby’s practical and protective mother, M’Lynn; the cantankerous Ouiser; observant former first lady Clairee; and the demure newcomer with a curious past, Annelle. A complex study of the power of female friendship, the salon-centred tale follows the six Southern belles through joys and struggles over the next three years.
As Shelby moves from newlywed to expectant mother, despite the risks associated with her Type 1 Diabetes, the women rally around M’Lynn, whose dread over her daughter’s health colours Shelby’s joyful announcement. And it is this deep bond that fortifies the women through their greatest hardship when Shelby soon succumbs to her illness not long after fulfilling her dream of becoming a mother. Together, the group discovers an innate sense of steely resilience to move forward in the face of life’s delicate fragility.
Tickets From $40
reserve: by calling the Box Office 604 266 7191
or BUY ONLINE
Mirroring the real-world interactions of its all-female cast, many of whom have worked together on productions in recent years, Boone Dog Productions’ presentation of Steel Magnolias brings together a group of six luminary performers: Jaime Percy (Belle in Theatre Under the Stars’ Beauty and the Beast) as Shelby, Lalainia Lindbjerg (Winifred Banks in Theatre Under the Stars’ Mary Poppins) as M’Lynn, Cheryl Mullen (Bea in Hallmark’s With Love at Christmas) as Clairee, Keira Jang (Sophie in Theatre Under the Stars Mamma Mia!) as Annelle, Sheryl Anne Wheaton (Rosie in Theatre Under the Stars’ Mamma Mia!) as Truvy, and Chy (Dr. Freye in Superman and Lois) as Ouiser.
Directed by acclaimed director and producer Shel Piercy (Timeless Pictures, Infinity Films, Theatre Under the Stars, Gateway Theatre), the play features set design by Francesca Albertazzi (head of design for the hit television show Love It or List It Vancouver, set designer for three seasons of Theatre Under the Stars) and costumes by award-winning costumer Christina Sinosich (Theatre Under the Stars, Gateway Theatre, Royal City) and wig designer/creator Donnie Tejani.
Cast and Production Team
CAST
Keira Jang …………………………………………………. Annelle
Sheryl Anne Wheaton ……………………………… Truvy
Cheryl Mullen ………………………………………….. Clairee
Jaime Piercy …………………………………………….. Shelby
Lalainia Lindbjerg ………………………………..…… M’Lynn
Chy ……………………………………………………………. Ouiser
PRODUCTION TEAM
Shel Piercy …………………………………………………….. Director
Robert Harling ……………………………………………….. Writer
Ashley Vucko .….…………………………………………….. Stage Manager
Taylor Mc Kinnon …………………………………………… Assistant Stage Manager
Francesca Albertazzi………………………………………. Set Design
Matthew Piercy .…………………………………………….. Lighting Design
Richard Beng ………………………………………………….. Sound
John Bradbury, Daniel Weibe ………………………… Set Construction & Painting
Francesca Altertazzi, Lalainia Lindbjerg ………… Set Decoration
Chris Sinosich & Team …………………………………… Costumes/Wigs
Boone Dog Collective ………..…………………………… Props
Maddelana Acconci ……………………………………….. House Manager
Debra Danny …..……………………………………………… Publicity
Rochelle Elise Photography …….……………….……… Marketing Photography
Lalainia Lindbjerg …………………………………………………. Poster Design
Barbara LaBounta ………………………………………….. Graphic Design for Metro
Reviews & Being Said
Read All About It!
Huge thanks to Managing Editor of Entertainment Vancouver, Monika Forberger, for an awesome review.
Awesome vibes in the theatre for the Opening Night of Steel Magnolias as we all relished in the joy of being together doing something ‘normal’. Many thanks to Brent Fidler of Theatre Crossing for this post about the production:
“I wanted to write this review right after coming home from the theater, while the waves of joy were still crashing against my heart in the way only the force of a magical stage performance can. Tonight I saw a transcendent production of Steel Magnolias from local Equity Co-op Boone Dog Prods at the Metro Theater. The six women actors worked together like a Mozart symphony, hitting every emotional note flawlessly and honestly, and with a ferocious vulnerability and maturity that I have not seen on the Vancouver stage for a long time. Shel Piercey, the director has steered this stellar perfectly cast ensemble into rarified creative air. Every moment of humor and pathos, tragedy and satire is played at a higher performance level, in my humble opinion, than the hit movie.
Of course, it helped a little to see an ensemble piece about true friendships and the strength and support they offered each other, timely performed in a Covidy world of isolation, fear and world chaos. It heightened the deep humanity and positive energy of the show and its simple message of unconditional love.
Tonight, these actresses transported me by their commitment to their craft and their raw talent. Most importantly, they made me fall in love with acting all over again, at a time when my creative pilot light has all but extinguished. Great theater touches the heart and great writing lifts it to new heights.. Do yourself a favor. Go see this show.. You’ll leave feeling better about the human race.”
Thanks to avid Metro Theatre supporter John Lee @johnleewriter who tweeted:
We loved catching the opening night of Steel Magnolias at #Vancouver’s
@MetroTheatre! Moving and disarmingly funny performances from an excellent ensemble cast. Don’t miss it!
Notes from The Director
When I was a kid my mother and her friends belonged to the Hillcrest Bowling League. Although they did bowl, more than anything the Hillcrest Bowling League simply gave a name to their unwavering support and care for each other on my mum’s team. They bowled every Thursday afternoon; that was stew night because my mum could make it in the morning and heat it up for dinner later.
The true glory of the Hillcrest Bowling League was the friendship these women shared. A friendship that extended well-beyond the narrow lanes of the bowling alley. Many a dinner at my house was interrupted because one of my mum’s “bowling friends” needed a hand. For the widows amongst them (there were two) my father was often sent on a mission to unplug a drain, or change a fuse or to drive someone somewhere for something. When they got together outside the bowling alley, often dragging husbands and children, laughter was served in heaping helpings. Sickness meant food was sent; groceries and prescriptions were purchased and delivered. They reached out to each other, relied on each other, loved each other. Unwaveringly.
When Lalainia told me of her plans to stage STEEL MAGNOLIAS I knew immediately I wanted to be part of the collective. I have always loved this story. Although it is a different era than my mother’s era, the spirit of friendship and support is exactly the same. In the play these six, fierce, powerful, and very real, women show us the true meaning of love.
This is a show with a protruding funny bone. The best kind of funny; the funny that comes from truth. The women in this play reflect those women in our society that we all admire. Strong, brave, loving, flawed. Their journey is the journey of life; inspiring in it’s friendship, its humour and ultimately its enormous heart.
We are blessed with an inspiring company of actors who layer in their own experiences as they create the wonderful characters in Robert Harlings play. There are no men in this world, just women. And they are going to blow you away.
This play is a story of love, a story of friendship. A story overflowing with the truth that lives in every human heart.
I can hardly wait for you all to see it!
Shel Piercy